Dark Blue

Here's a decent corrupt cop thriller that has two exceptional things going for it. The first is an at-the-top-of-his-game Kurt Russell giving the kind of subtle, layered performance you only get from a pro; it would be so easy for his dark-hearted cop to be a caricature, but thanks to Russell he's far from it. Russell is one of those actors who make a lot of lightweight fare (BIG TROUBLE IN LITTLE CHINA, etc.) and whose genuine talents are sometimes forgotten about, which is a shame. Check out the monologue he gets to himself here - excellent.

The second thing going for this is the backdrop of the L.A. race riots in 1992. A simmering undercurrent of violence runs throughout the movie, from the casual violence of the opening robbery to the bravura climax. The atmosphere is frightening, a perfect match for the ruthlessness of the cops who think they're above the law, and perfectly realised.

Add in a taut script, a seasoned round of pros (Brendan Gleeson, Ving Rhames) and a fairly good performance from newcomer Scott Speedman and you have a solid, highly watchable drama.

As far as stories about crooked cops go, this is one of the best I've ever seen. A dark, violent thriller set to the backdrop of the race riots in L.A. after the Rodney King verdict, written by David Ayer. Kurt Russell gives the performance of a lifetime and should at least have been nominated for an Oscar. Great and terribly underrated film. 8 stars out of 10.

In case you're interested in more underrated masterpieces, here's some of my favorites:

imdb.com/list/ls070242495

Dark Blue was one of those movies I saw the trailer for back when it was first coming out in theaters that I had always wanted to see. For one reason or another I put it off and I eventually forgot about it. Over time some fellow film fans said this was worth watching and deserves a look. Kurt Russell's character is mean and lovable. He's a dirty cop, but we're with him every step of the way. There is a little bit of Training Day in this but one could argue Dark Blue is dirtier and angrier. This is not a typical character for Kurt Russell, and it's one of his best films from the past 10 years. I was surprised I hadn't seen this back when it came out. If you love Kurt, action films, and cop stories than Dark Blue is for you. Overall a good movie.

In 1992, in Los Angeles, Homicide Detective Eldon Perry (Kurt Russell) is a member of the third generation of detectives in the Los Angeles Police Department. His partner is the rookie Bobby Keough (Scott Speedman), the nephew of the Chief of the Department Jack Van Meter (Breendan Gleeson), one of the best friends of Eldon's father. Eldon follows his orders without questioning, being protected by his superior, when interrogated by the Internal Affairs. Jack and Eldon do not have ethics, using intimidation, corruption and blackmail to achieve their targets and defeat their enemies. However, Assistant Chief Holland (Ving Rhames) is a honest officer, who fights against the corruption in the department and wants to destroy Jack and Elson. Bobby does not fit well in such a corrupted environment and is in love with Sargent Beth Williamson (Michael Michele), who works with Holland and had a love affair with him five years before. When four persons are executed in a Corean store by two criminals protected by Jack, Eldon and Bobby are in charge to find two scapegoats to take the blame. Meanwhile, tension is increasing on the streets of Los Angeles due to the trial of four white officers, who spanked the black motorist Rodney King. Having the backdrop of the real case of Rodney King, and consequent violence on the streets of LA after the absolving of the four white officers responsible for his aggression, and many plot points, "Dark Blue" is a very different, realistic and dramatic police story. Themes like racism, police excessive (or brutal) use of force for intimidation, corruption, blackmail, violent crimes, redemption etc. are presented in this film. The corruption in all levels of the police department and the justice system is explored in this movie. Although being in Los Angeles, it could be in most of the police departments of different nations. The performance of Kurt Russell is once again amazing, in the role of a man who goes to hell, destroying his personal and professional life in all the aspects, and looking for redemption in the end. "Dark Blue" is a highly recommended movie. My vote is eight.

Title (Brazil): "A Face Oculta da Lei" ("The Hidden Face of the Law")

DARK BLUE (2003) ***1/2 Kurt Russell, Scott Speedman, Ving Rhames, Michael Michele, Lola Davidovich, Brendan Gleeson, Jonathan Banks. Russell gives the performance of his career as morally corrupt LA cop Eldin Perry, assigned to a special forces unit, who uses his power to put the screws to the animals he patrols by any means necessary , instructing his rookie partner Speedman , until things come to a bloody head in the shadow of the Rodney King trial. Rhames as the deputy chief of police determined to bring Perry down provides the missing social backbone to this insightfully gritty look at bad cops gone wild. Filmmaker Ron Shelton affectively uses the historic time setting perfectly in capturing the tempest in a teacup that acts as a perfect metaphor for the screenplay written by David Ayer based on James Ellroy's story.